Sex+Health

We're frequently asked about websites touting unlicensed, off-the-grid vaccines and supplements that claim to cure HPV and related diseases. In this episode, H. Hunter Handsfield, MD, Professor Emeritus of Medicine, University of Washington Center for AIDS and STD, breaks down the more common HPV "miracle cures" and also answers the most common questions about legitimate, approved HPV vaccines.

There are many misconceptions around men, sex, sexuality, and just what men want from relationships. Guys are seen as always turned on, selfish in the bedroom, and not all that interested in their partner once the carnal tango ends. Is that fair? To find out we chatted with men's sexual health expert Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, an associate clinical professor at Harvard Medical School, the director a...

It used to be very simple – a woman had an annual Pap test. Now, Paps can be done alone or in combination with an HPV test (one HPV test can even be used for primary cervical cancer screening). Added to the mix is a set of updated guidelines that, for most women, means an annual cervical cancer screening exam is a thing of the past. It can all be very confusing, even for healthcare providers! Not...

As Congress considers funding to answer the many unknown questions about Zika virus and to proactively push out education and awareness messages for Zika, Fred Wyand discusses what we know about Zika virus, sexual transmission, and ways to protect against it.

Taking care of young males is often a challenge, since most young men do not visit their healthcare providers on a regular basis. In this episode, Dr. David Bell discusses ways to build rapport with patients, elements of the physical examination, immunizations, sexual health, and other matters of relevance to this population. Dr. Bell is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and...

Tales of sexual exploration, pleasure, and a sense of freedom, fulfillment and finding oneself. This episode of ASHA's Sex+Health podcast features a chat with Lynn Brown Rosenberg, author of My Sexual Awakening at 70: And What Led Me Here.

Cancer can be isolating, and it's easy to see where friends and family members who haven't personally dealt with cancer—and if they have, probably haven't dealt with your specific cancer—aren't able to fully relate and a patient can feel alone in some ways. The volunteer chapter leaders who work with ASHA's National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) understand this well; many chapter leaders are ce...

Cervical cancer screening used to all be so simple—women were told just go for your annual Pap. But now we have new tests to screen for cervical cancer, plus updated guidelines that, for most women, mean routine screening is done every few years rather than annually. The changes are confusing not only to women but their healthcare providers, too. So to sort all this out, we're talking today with D...

Most sexually active individuals are estimated to have one or more infections in their lifetime with the human papillomavirus (HPV) and, not surprisingly, ASHA receives countless HPV questions like: What should I tell a partner? Will I always have it? How are HPV tests used? How well do vaccines work? In this episode, H. Hunter Handsfield, MD, covers these and other common questions about HPV. Dr....

Fred Wyand talks to Walker Thornton, M.Ed, about reigniting the spark your sex life and communicating about sexual pleasure. Thornton writes extensively about sexuality, relationships, sexual health, and caregiving, with a special focus on sexual health and aging.

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a common sexually transmitted infection. So common that most (~80%) of sexually active people will be infected with HPV at some point. While it is often harmless, it can cause genital warts and even lead to cervical cancer. In this episode of ASHA's Sex+Health podcast, Fred Wyand talks to Ina Park, MD, assistant professor at University of California, San Francisco...

We have an abundance of accurate, relatively inexpensive tests for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) but the trick is engaging patients and health professionals so the proper tests are given to the right individuals. In this episode of ASHA's Sex+Health podcast we chat with J. Dennis Fortenberry, MD, MS, professor of pediatrics and medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, about barr...

Long-acting reversible contraception, or LARC, is reversible birth control that provides long-lasting (think years) pregnancy prevention. LARC methods, which include intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants, are highly reliable, but they don't prevent STIs. For this reason, many choose to use (and health professionals recommend) condoms in addition to a LARC method. Dual use of condoms and LARC th...